Luggage-carrier for automobiles



C. R. STANDLEY.

LUGGAGE CARRlER FR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLicATmN m50 mmmzz 919.

Patented Nov. 192i.

C. R. STANDLEY.

LUGGAGE CRHIER FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APvLlcfmoN FILED MAR.'22,191,

1 ,$95,457. Patnted Nov. 1, H2L

z'nmsw l In 22622 202" www R SW1/@LEY UNITED STATI-:s

P ATENT OFFICE.

IUGGAGE-CARRIER FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

Application filed March 22, 1919. Serial No. 284,379.

lle it known that l. (il-:o lt. S'rANnLr, a vitizen of thv l'nited States. residing at lloonv. in thv vountv o'l' Boone and State ot' Iowa. have invented vertain nvw and uset'ul Improvements in liuggagelfarriers for Au- .tomohilvsz and l do hvreh)1 devlarv the following to he a t'ull. vlear. and exact desc-ription ot' thv invention. Vsuvh as will vnahle othvrs skilled in thv art to whivh it appertains to niakv and use the Same.

A\l v invention ronsists in vvrtain new and usvt'ul struvtural improvements in luggage varrivrs for automohilv running boards. ot' the vlass in whivh there is vmploved a lav.)1 tongs lever for the outer memher. with means for avearing it at its vndsl to the running hoard ot' an automohilv.

The ohjevt ol' my invention is to provide a dvvivv ot' this liind ot' `simple. durahle and inexpvnsivv vonstruvtion. that may hv rvadilv. quivltlv and vasil \v applied to or removed from a running hoard. or folded up in small and vompavt spavv. in :i vonvvnivnt and favilv mannvr without thv use ot' tools.

.\1 v invention vonsists in vvrtaiu details in thv vonstria-tion. arrangement aml vomhination ol" thv svvvral parts of thv dvvivv. whereliv thv ohjevtsV vontvmplatvd are attained. as hereinafter morv fully svt. t'orth. pointvd out in m v vlaims. and illustrated in thv avi-oinpanving drawings. in whivh:

Figure 1 is a fragmentai)v pvrspvvtivv vivw of an automohile having the improved luggage varrivr secured to the running hoard thervot'.

Fig. 2 is a pvrspevtive view of thv luggage varrier removed from the automobile and looking :it the same From the insidv.

Fig. il is a plan view of the luggagv varrier. as shown in Fig. 2. with thv exvvption that ouv ofV thv vnd mvmhvi.` is shown in a foldvd position Irv means ol' Ilroltvn linvs.

Vig. l is :i view in inside v evation. showing the luggage varrier l'oldei z and l"|g. `v is; a detail pvrspvctilvv view ot one of thv uppvr hinge vminvvtiolusv ln thv avvompauving drirhvings l have usvd thv rvl'vrvovv numeral ti to india-ate gvnvrall'v :in aulomfiliilv. and 'l' thv running hoard thereof.

M v improved luggage vaifiivr rompi-isos an outvr luggagv retaining' n'ivinhvr tormvd of flat hars pivotvd together in thv form oll a lazy tongs b'. .\t eavh ol' the projecting end hars of this lazy tongs I have provided a metal loop 18. pivotally connected to the lazy tongs bars by rivets 20.

The two end members for forming the end portions ot' the luggage carrier, are each indicated generally by the numeral 9, and each comprises in its construction an upright supporting member 13. This supporting memher is formed of a pieve of tlat metal with its lower end lient inwardly at 1() to go under a running hoard. and it is provided at its innvr vnd with a hand screw 1TA AMljavent to the inner side ot' each of the t'lat supporting members Sl I have formed two slots 19. one near the bottom and the other nvar the top. These slots are so spaced from the inner edge ot each of the uprights that the material hetween the slot and the innvr edge is suhstauti-.illy square in cross svvtion. and the loops 1S are passed through these slots and surround said square upright nivmhers. so that the said loops 18 muy freely turn in :l pivotal manner relative to the said uprights 12%. In addition to this. the upper slot lu is made suhstantiall \v longer than the. lower one. and h v this arrangement the following :ulvzintagvous result is attained:

The lower set of loops 18 have substantiallv no vertical movement in their slots, while thv upper ones. on account of the difl'vrenve in the length ot' the slots, are capable ot' a substantial amount of upward and downward movemen. When the lazy tongs is lullv e\'te'inlvd1 as shown ir Figs. .2 and 5, thv loops 18 will rest against the material al; thv bottom of the upper slots lt). and when thiI lax'v tongs is vompletely collapsed. as shown in ["ig. l. the Said loops 1H at the top will he at the top ot the slots 1S. llvnve when the liv/,y tongs levvr is completely vxtvuded. as in use. thv loops 1S ot' the han' tongs will rest upon the bottoni ot' the upper .slots la. and will thervhy he held in position pist as vllivientlv as though they were iu;- tuallv vlanlpvd in said position. and vet when it livvomes desirable to vollaose the luggage r-arrier. this ma)v he done without the adjustment ot :in v yset srrvwvs or other manipulatious.

At the inner fave of earh of the upright supporting mvinliers ll is a rigid frame vomprising metal hars l2. lt. la and 16. whivh :irv rigidljv .svvurvd h v rivets to the said uprights lil. 'l`l1v parts lf of these end members rest llat on top ot the automobile running board, and form part of the clamp by which the device is secured to the running board. The other members 12, 14 and 1G of the end members serve as braces to nor mally hold the parts 15 in their position at right angles to the uprights 13, so that when the parts 15 are resting upon and clamped to a running board, the uprights 13 will be thereby firmly braced against outward movement at their upper edge. At the central portion of the lazy tongs is a. clamp device 11, provided with a hand screw 21 designed for clamping to a running board to thereby brace the central portion of the lazy tongs at this point.

In practical use it is obvious that the device may be folded up in a small space andI compact manner, as shown in Fig. 4.

In order to apply the device to an automobile, it is only necessary to unfold the two end members to positions at right angles to the lazy tongs, then stretch the lazy tongs to their outer limit of movement, then ap ply the device to a running board and manually adjust the three hand screws 17 and 21. All of this may be done in a speedy, convenient and facile manner, without the use of any tools.

When this has been accomplished a luggage carrier is provided of very strong, rigid and durable construction, without any parts likely to become lost or out of adjustment. The lazy tongs is firmly and securely held against movement in any direction, and especially against any liability of rattling, because of the limitation of the movement of the loops 18 in the slots 19, because they are held against the lower edges of the upper slots and against the upper edges of the lower slots by the lazy tongs levers.

However, when it is desired to remove the device from a running board it is only necessary to release the three hand screws at the bottom, whereupon the lazy tongs may be collapsed and the end members folded inwardly, without the use of any tools or the adjustment of any set screws or the like.

Iam aware that heretofore luggage carriers have been provided in which a lazy tongs member and pivoted end members` attached thereto, have beenr employed. I do not desire to be understood as claiming broadly this invention.

what I claim is:

A luggage carrier for automobiles, comprising a member composed ot bars pivoted together to form lazy tongs metal loops pivotally connected to the four projecting und members of the lazy tongs, end frames each comprising a flat metal upright support, means for clamping the' support adjacent the outer edge of the running board, said support being provided with two slots one adjacent each end, said loops being adapted to pass through said slots, providing a hinged connection between the lazy tongs and end members, sa id upper slots heilig of sufiicient length to permit folding of the lazy tongs, each end frameprovided with a member secured to the upright and designed to lie upon the top of the running board. and a brace rigidly secured to the part that. extends over the running board and also to the upright.

In testimony whereof I aliix m signature.

CLEO R. STA DLEY. 

